William a



W. A. FRANK.

PIPE CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED JAN-13,1915.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916;

' Inventor: I 7

Atty

longer or shorter period of use.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFmE.

WILLIAM A. FRANK, HACIKENSAGK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL WATER MAIN CLEANING COMPANY, OF NEW'YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

PIPE-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Application filed January 13, 1915. Serial No. 1,924.

in Pipe-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for cleaning pipe. lines or water. mains and is particularly concerned with that type of device which employs what .are generally termed scrapers, the func- .tion of which is to loosen and remove from the inner walls of the pipe the sediment or incrustation which forms thereon after a In this class of pipe cleaners it is usual to employ a number of scraper heads arranged in succession, each head being provided with a set-of scrapers all of which are adapted to act on the sediment or incrustation in the p1 the scraper heads directly on a shaft, and with this construction the entire weight of the machine was usually borne by the scrapers in the lowermost position, that is, those scrapers which were acting on what might be termed the base of the pipe. This condition involves a number of disadvantages. In the first place, the scraping action ofthe upper scrapers is likely to be less effective than that of the lower scrapers owing to the fact that such upper scrapers are pressed against the pipe with less force than the lower scrapers which carry the weight of the machine. Again, the weight of the machine borne on the lower scrapers acts as a dragto retard the passage of the cleaning machine through the pipes. Furthermore, the pressure of the machine on the scrapers has the effect" of dulling the scraper edges rapidlyand bending the scrapers out of shape.

P It has heretofore been customary to mount ing heads as to prevent the scrapers from working loose from the supporting heads. Another object of my invention is to so construct the device that the scrapers will be firmly, yet removably, held in position on the scraper head, to eliminate the danger of any of thescrapers becoming detached from the scraper head while the latter is in the pipe beingcleaned. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide anovel arrangement of scraper blades, whereby I am enabled to provide .each scraper head with a blades than heretofore.

A still further object of'my invention is to provide such a device with means wheregreater number ofin attaining the desired maximum] cleaning efficiency. 'The. means for imparting the turning movement are preferably constructed to be capable of participating in the cleaning action of the scrapers.

1 The construction and operation of the invention will be clearly understood from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pipe or water main, showing my im-' proved cleaning apparatus therein, a portion of the latter appearing in section; and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

The specific type of device shown in the drawing is one which is propelled through the pipe by the pressure of the water acting on pistons having adjusting means to regulate the quantity of water which may pass the pistons so as to vary the speed at which the device advances through a main. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to any particular means for advancing the cleanerthrough the pipe, but may be employed in connection with any approved means for this purpose. In the drawing, numeral 10 denotes the water main which it is assumed has interior incrustation to be removed by my improved apparatus. 1

I will now describe the construction of the cleaning apparatus itself. 11 denotes a shaft section upon which a series of cleaner heads or scraper-supports 12 are mounted. Each head is substantially cup-shaped with '35 'z-z steel blades 17 curved outwardly at one end a relatively large aperture 13 in its base or front wall, the shaft 11 passing through and preferably clearing the walls of the apertures in the heads 12. The shaft 11 has keyed or otherwise attached to its forward end a guide head 14 provided with a series of radiating arms 15, which are bifurcated for the purpose of supporting guide wheels 16 on stud shafts 24. These wheels 16 are revoluble in the bifurcated arms 15 and are set thereon so as to incline with relation to the axis of the pipe 10, or the shaft 11, which as will be understood are co-aXial when the device is in operation. By so inclining the guide wheels 16 with relation to the axes of the pipe 10 and shaft 11, the entire device, as it advances through the pipe, is given a rotary or turning movement which conduces to subjecting all parts of the interior of a pipe to the action of the scrapers, to be pres ently described. It will also be noted that the edges'or peripheries (Fig. 2) of the guide wheel 16 are sharp, almost forming knife edges. This construction has a twofold object. Owing to the sharp edges of the wheels the resistance to the advance of the devicethrough the pipe is reduced compared to what it would be if the peripheries of the guide wheels 16 were wide, and furthermore, the sharp edges of the guide wheels act to some extent in scarifying the 'incrustation and rendering its removal somewhat easier by the succeeding action of the scrapers.

The scraper members usually comprise and provided with widened scraping ends or edges 18, which act on the incrustation in the pipe. The end opposite 18 is adapted to be held in the scraper head 12, and for that purpose such end is preferably made angular in cross section so that the portion 17 thereof may pass through an aperture in the lateral wall of the head or cup 12, while the inner end or portion 19 of the blade or scraper may abut against the inner face of the base wall of the cup or scraper head. By the construction described, accidental detachment of the scraper blades from the scraper heads is prevented, inasmuch as the angular portion 17 a of the blade bears against opposed stop surfaces (the walls of the aperture in the lateral wall of the cup) and at its rear end each such blade also abuts against a stop surface, formed by the base wall of the cup. As an additional safeguard against accidental detachment of the blades, I provide the bolts 20 which pass through the blade shanks and into and through the lateral walls of the cups 12.

A desira le feature of my present construction is the arrangement of the blades on 'the scraper heads. It has been found, in

scraper heads employed shall be as few as possible, consistent with efliciency. To meet these conditions, 1 preferably arrange the" blades in staggered relation to each other on the scraper heads, whereby I am enabled to provide each scraper head with a greater number of blades than if the latter were placed side by side in alinement' The fifth scraper head in Fig. 1 clearly illustrates the staggered arrangement of blades; the cutting edges 18 of two spaced blades being overlapped by the cutting edge of an intermediate blade. When a scraper head, with blades so arranged, passes through a pipe, practically the entire inner surface of a given portion of the latter will be acted upon by the ring or series of blades.

1T0 obtain effective cleaning action,it is customary and desirableto employ at leastshown a scraper unit as comprising two' shaft sections 11, the first section including three scraper heads and the second section including two scraper heads and piston propulsion means which will be later described.

In order that the shaft sections may be suitably connected together, the forward end or guide head 14 of each shaft 11 is provided with a socket 21 into which is adapted to fit a ball 22 carried at the rear of each shaft 11, forming a; ball and socket joint suitably united by the bolted frame 23.

I have found, in practice, that the most desirable manner of flexibly supporting the scraper heads is to connect them by chains to the guide head 14. Hung on the stud shaft 24 of each wheel 16 is a link 25 engaged by one end of a chain 26 which passes through the aperture 13 in the heads 12 forming the scraper series. To the outer face of the base wall of each scraper head 12 is riveted or otherwise attached a series of metallic eyes 27 each of which is engaged by a link 38, said links being connected to the chain 26. As will be noted from Fig. 1, the chain does not pass through aperture 13 in the last head 12, but merely has its end attached to the eye 27 on the base wall of this head. The chains 26 are arranged to form a circle or substantially cylindrical series, there being as many chains 26 as there are wheels 16 whereby the supporting action of these chains is practically uniform throughout the entire circumference of the scraper heads 12. The flexible support afi'orded by the chains 26 with the aid of the piston propulsion means hereinafter described, is sufficient to keep the scraper heads centered throughout the series, and to allow any scraper head to yield if this becomes necessary by a substantial obstruction to its forward passage through a pipe or around bends.

To prevent the several scraper heads from working forward out of place, each shaft 11 has attached thereto a number of plates 29, the diameter of which is greater than that of the aperture 13 in the heads 12. These plates are positioned adjacent the heads 12 and act as stops to the forward movement on the shaft 11 of the heads 12. The plates are suitably orificed to allow the chains 26 to pass therethrough.

Mounted on the shaft of each cleaning unit (two or more sections) is a pair of flexible pistons each of which comprises an inner casing 30 of leather or like tough material and a series of outer spring arms 31, engaging the leather casing 30 and adapted to protect the same against abrasion. To maintain the flexible sheathing 30 in distended position is an annular coiled or spiral spring 32 which presses against the inner ends of the arms 31, the latter being preferably lapped over the lower edge of the easing 30, as shown in Fig. 1.

Secured to the shaft 11 is a disk 33 forming a clamp to retain the flexible sheathing 30 and thearms 31 in position. This disk is provided with apertures 34, and revoluble over the disk is a plate 35 having spaced Webs 35 so that by revolution of the plate 35 the spaces between the webs thereof may be brought into and out' of register with the apertures in the disk 33. The action is somewhat in the nature of a damper or valve action, the apertures being adjustable in size so as to permit a greater or less quantity of water to flow therethrough and thus to regulate the speed at which the device is advanced through the pipe by means of the piston above described.

It is to be noted that the pistons at the rear of ascraper unit are attached to the shaft 11 and thus assist in centering thev shaft, from the guide heads of which the scraper heads are flexibly supported by the chain construction above described.

The operation of the device will be understood from the following description. Before the device is placed in the pipe to be cleaned, the plates 33 and 35 are adjusted relatively to each other so as to provide apertures of a size which will control the speed of advance of the cleaning device as desired. After such adjustment of apertures the device is placed in a pipe with the guide heads 14 pointed in the direction in which the device is to travel. Thereafter the water is turned on and as it flows it will advance the cleaning device, which will be rotated owing to the action of the wheels 16. As the cleaner advances the sharp edges of the wheels 16 will scarify the incrustation on the interior of the pipe, such incrustation being removed by the successive therein a shaft having a guide head, a series of scraper heads, and flexible means for supporting said scraper heads free of said shaft.

3. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft provided with aguide head, means carried by said guide head for guiding the device and rotating same in its passage through a pipe, scraper heads, and means secured to said guide head and by which said scraper heads are shaft.

supported free of the 4. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft, a series of.scraper heads having apertu-red walls through which said shaftextends, and means attached to said guide head for supporting said scraper heads in- I dependently of the shaft.

5. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft, a guide head thereon, a' series of revoluble guides carried by said guide head, a series of scraper heads through which said shaft passes, and means connected to said guide head and to said scraper heads for supporting the latter independently of said shaft.

6. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft, a' guide head. atone end thereof, a series of sharp edged guide wheels carried by said guide head, scraper heads" through which said shaft passes, and flexible means connected to said guide head and to said scraper heads for supporting the latter independently of the shaft.

7. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft, a guide head at one end thereof, a series of sharp guide wheels carried by said guide head, said guide wheels being inclined with respect to the axis of said shaft, and a series of scraper heads, supported from said guide head free of said shaft.

'8. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft having a guide head thereon, revoluble guiding members carried by said guide head,

each other at least one of which walls is provided with apertures, and scrapers passing through said apertures.

11. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a. scraper head consisting of a substantially cup-shaped member having walls at right angles to each other, each of said walls being provided with an aperture, and a scraper having a substantially rectangular portion passing through theapertures' in said walls.

.12. 'A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft carrying a guide head at one end thereof, means on said guide head whereby said machine may be guided and rotated in its passage through a pipe being cleaned, scraper headsfiexibly supported from said guide head free of the shaft, and means whereby said device may be advanced through a pipe by water flowing therethrough. l 13. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft having a guide head thereon, a series of sharp edged wheels carried by said guide head said wheels being inclined with respect to the axis of said shaft, a series of scraper heads arranged in succession behind said guide head, and flexible means whereby said scraper heads are supported free of said shaft.

14:. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft having a guide head at one end thereof, a series of scraper headsin succession to the rear of said guide head, each of said scraper heads having an aperture in itsbase through which said shaft passes, and a, series of chains connected to said guide heads and said scraper heads, and passing through the apertures in the bases of the latter.

15. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft, a series of scraper heads through which said shaft passes, means'for flexibly supporting said heads free of the shaft, and means for maintaining a predetermined distance between said heads.

16. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft, a series of scraper heads through which said shaft passes, means for flexibly supporting said heads free of the shaft, and plates on the shaft for maintaining a predetermined distance between said heads.

17. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft, a series of scraper heads flexibly supported clear of the shaft, a series of perforated plates on theshaft adjacent said heads,- and chains passing through said plates and connected to said-heads for flexibly supporting the latter clear of the shaft.

18. 'A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft, a guide head thereon, a series of scraper heads flexibly supported from said guide head free of said shaft, and a piston by means of which said machine may be advanced through a pipe, said piston including a flexible casing and resilient means for distending the same.

19. A pipe cleaning machine, comprising a shaft,-a guide head thereon, a series of scraper heads flexibly supported from said guide head free of said shaft, and a piston by means of which said machine may be advanced through a pipe, said piston including a'- flexible casing, resilient means for distending the same, and metallic means for protecting said casing against abrasion.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. FRANK. 

